Kolkata Knight Riders, who have been blowing hot and cold in this tournament, will look to challenge the seemingly unstoppable Kings XI Punjab when the two sides clash in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Cuttack. The last time the two sides faced off, it turned out to be a low-scoring affair and Punjab came out trumps after doing a good job with the ball. KKR will be eager to turn the tables around against the leading team of this IPL and improve their position.

Kings XI Punjab:

Given the sparkling form Glenn Maxwell and David Miller are in, KKR's bowlers are likely to be put to the sword in the game at the Barabati stadium. On paper, it looks a lop-sided contest given that Punjab boast of a batting line-up, which has been in marauding form. If Maxwell and Miller were not a big enough headache to deal with for rival teams, out-of-form veteran Virender Sehwag is also slowly rediscovering his touch. Mandeep Singh will be eager to come up with a substantial contribution while skipper George Bailey, who showcased his capabilities with the bat against Chennai, can do a lot of damage as well.

While KXIP will be be relying on their in-form batsmen to come good again, the bowlers aren't too far behind either. Pacer Sandeep Sharma has been in consistent form and is currently third in the list of top wicket-takers this season after scalping 13 in six matches. After a slow start, Australian import Mitchell Johnson has been amongst the wickets while L Balaji, apart from the previous game, has done a good job. Spinner Akshar Patel has impressed as has young Shivam Sharma, who came up with a fine spell against Bangalore. Punjab will be hoping that the bowlers continue their good showing.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

KKR have been very inconsistent, although the win over Delhi Daredevils in their previous match would have come as a morale-booster for the team. For once, Kolkata's batting clicked with skipper Gautam Gambhir, who had been facing a barrage of criticism for poor form, leading the way with a half-century. Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey also did their bit to take KKR to an elusive win over Delhi Daredevils and they would be keen to carry that form into the match against Punjab. Jacques Kallis is due for runs and Kolkata will be hoping that he comes to the party.

On the bowling front, the Knight Riders can draw some confidence from the fact that they managed to restrict Punjab's marauding batsmen the last time these two teams clashed. Mystery spinner Sunil Narine would once again be their trump card while Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al-Hasan will have a key role to play as well. Narine went for a few runs against Delhi and he will be eager to make amends while Vinay Kumar and Kallis too will be keen to do the same, having conceded quite a few in their last game.

Quotes:

When it comes to Maxwell, it is a nightmare to bowl to him. I don't ever understand where to bowl to him. He will hit you anywhere: Shivam Sharma on bowling to Glenn Maxwell in the nets.

We have been playing good cricket for about 30-35 overs of the game, and then for a few overs, we don't play up to the mark and that's enough to take the game away from us: Robin Uthappa, when asked why KKR have not quite fired.